WASHINGTON 鈥� D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser took to the national media on Thursday night to deliver a straightforward message regarding marijuana legalization in the District, and to stump for D.C. statehood.
鈥淚鈥檓 the mayor of the District of Columbia,鈥� Bowser told Rachel Maddow on Thursday night鈥檚 edition of 鈥淭he Rachel Maddow Show鈥� on MSNBC; 鈥淚 was elected, and my job is to implement the people鈥檚 law. The people changed the law, and it鈥檚 my job to implement it.鈥�
On MSNBC鈥檚 鈥淭he Rachel Maddow Show,鈥� host Maddow ran down the recent conflict between Republican congressmen on the House committee that oversees D.C. and the District government in the wake of the passage in November of Initiative 71, which legalized the growth and use, but not the sale, of marijuana.
Jason Chaffetz, of Utah; Andy Harris, of Maryland, and Mark Meadows, of North Carolina, have been outspoken in their disapproval of Initiative 71, going so far as to threaten Bowser and other government officials with prison and to demand the names and other information of District employees who help to implement the law.
Bowser said, 鈥淪ome people feel very strongly at the Congress, and they are speaking loudly. But our residents also spoke loud and clear last November.鈥�
Maddow asked whether Bowser foresaw other types of retribution coming from Congress. Bowser replied, 鈥淭he Congress well knows how to stop things when they want to stop things,鈥� referring to Congressional moves to block abortion laws, clean needle exchanges and medical marijuana.
鈥淭he answer for us, of course, is statehood, so that Americans who live and pay taxes in the District of Columbia can have a voting member of Congress 鈥� and two senators.鈥�
Bowser added that 鈥淲e鈥檝e been especially antagonized鈥� by Harris. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e threatened to harass us鈥� and hold up state aid. 鈥渢hat are due us just like any other state.鈥� She claims that Harris鈥檚 constituents 鈥渨ould much rather have his attention on their issues.鈥�
When Maddow pointed out that the question of was complicated, Bowser quickly interjected, 鈥淚t was complicated by Andy Harris.
鈥淭he voters were very clear in what they wanted to approve: home growth, home use by adults, although she added, 鈥淚 think it was the expectation鈥� that the council would be able to pass some regulations regarding the sale of marijuana.
Still, she was unequivocal: 鈥淭he will of the voters is being realized, because Initiative 71 is in force in the District of Columbia.鈥�
